


Before You Start a War...

by theroguesgambit



Series: Drabbletastic [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, Protective Stiles, The Divine Move tag, mentions of Derek/Kate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-15
Updated: 2014-05-15
Packaged: 2018-01-24 20:53:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1616726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theroguesgambit/pseuds/theroguesgambit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drabble prompt: Stiles' reaction to Derek leaving again, and finding out Kate has him.</p><p>(He does not react well.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before You Start a War...

He’s a giant cliché.

That’s his first thought. First thought after the world goes distant around him, after his body wobbles and he has to brace himself like a breathless damsel against the edge of the couch to keep his legs from going out from under him. And he thinks about how cliché he is so he can avoid thinking about the way the room’s riddled with bullet holes and bodies and blood, or the thing that Scott had just told him because…

 _Kate_. It can't be. That's not actually, _literally_ not possible.

“Dude, she’s _dead_." He snaps out, a little breathless, like Scott just might not remember. "She’s like… the first big bad we ever took down, I mean--”

No, that isn’t right, though. _They_ hadn’t killed her.

The world snaps back into focus and Stiles is moving without thinking, wheeling on Peter in a flurry of dark rage.

“ _You_. This is you. This has your bloody handprints all over it. What, did you pretend to kill her? Play your little resurrection game on her?”

Peter might be a shade paler than usual (but who the hell can tell anyway, right? Christ, you’d think those Hales are all vampires more than werewolves; would it kill them to get some sunlight? Not that Stiles is one to talk, and that’s it, McCall Pack beach trip first thing after they… if they… _when_ they…)

Peter's even voice drags his thoughts back from their panicked spiral.

“And why would I save the woman who burned me and my family alive, Stiles?”

Which, yes, valid point. But Stiles isn't looking for logic right now. He's looking to snap at someone, hit something. He sneers.

“I don’t know. I’m not the would-be evil mastermind. Maybe slashing her throat wasn’t slow enough. You wanted to keep her alive longer to make her suffer like you did."

Peter arches a brow, and it’s so patiently amused it makes Stiles want to break his fist on the guy’s face.

“You sure you’re not pursuing a career in the field of 'evil mastermind'? That’s a fairly solid theory off the top of your head.”

Stiles' hand is already in a fist and rising to swing when Scott pulls him back –- easy, like he’s a rag doll. Like he's got no goddamn control over this, and he doesn't. He's too late, they all are. There are bullet holes and blood, and Kate Argent's scent in the air, and--

“He didn’t do it, Stiles. _Look_ at him.”

Stiles blinks and forces himself to breathe steadily, and finally he sees it -– more than just paleness, there’s a wide, sincere worry on Peter's drawn features. Fear he’s covering up with his usual snark.

Peter is every bit as freaked out about this as they are. Maybe more, considering what Kate’s done to him.

Stiles feels the last of the rage go out of him, his fist falling loose as he slumps down onto the couch. _Derek’s_ couch. There are bullet holes in it. They’ll need to buy a new one if he…

 _When_ he…

“How many times is that bitch gonna screw him over?”

Because it’s not just that Derek’s gone (again). It’s not just that he’s in trouble ( _again_ ).

Kate was the first one to teach Derek to be truly terrified, to show him how cruel people can be. The cold, angry Derek that Stiles and Scott had met in the woods a year back had been a pale shadow of what Kate had left behind in her wake, had been Derek After Kate with six years' distance and healing under his belt.

What the hell are they going to be left with when they find Derek this time?

He’s staring at his hands, praying vainly for a sixth finger. When he looks up, Scott’s eyeing him like he’s just had a revelation; like he’s put together something that’s been nagging at him for a long time.

Scott’s a great guy, but he’s never been too quick on the uptake.

“We’re gonna find him,” Scott says firmly. Peter nods, more or less to himself.

Stiles pushes himself back to his feet. They’re steady again under him.

It doesn’t matter what they find. As long as they find Derek, some version of Derek -- a living, breathing, heart-beating Derek -- it’ll be enough. It took long enough to get Derek to let Stiles in once; if it takes six years to do it again, he’ll deal with it.

“Oh, we definitely will. And this time, I get to kill her.”

Maybe he does have some evil tendencies. He can live with that.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from The Cab's "Angel With a Shotgun" -- Before you start a war//You better know what you're fighting for.  
> It seemed to fit.
> 
> In an effort to be more prolific and polish my severely rusty writing skills, I'll be writing drabbles like this whenever I feel stuck in one of my actual stories. If you want to be an amazing human being and help me out, send me prompts over at [MY TUMBLR](http://halekingsourwolf.tumblr.com)
> 
> (Thanks to anon for this prompt!)


End file.
